I had no idea what to expect when Jesca Hoop took the stage. The sight of her long brunette hair and acoustic guitar had me thinking I was about to hear the desperate musings of another soft-singing clone. How silly of me.
As soon as her mouth opened, the innocent-looking Hoop turned instantly into a seductive songstress. Her voice was smooth, flexible in range, and slippery. The notes came fast, and varied from high to low without warning or build up. She reminded me of Feist, but delivered from a whole new angle. Meditative and elusive, Hoop’s music is diverse, producing Eastern, relaxing tones in one song, then flipping to vaudevillian chords in the next.
"Love Is All We Have" off her newest album Kismet was reflective with chilled undertones. Leading in and out of verses, Hoop appeared to whisper the words, followed by big, loud swells of breathy richness. Her constant assortment of notes titillated the crowd, and as soon as we felt we figured her out—she adventured out into another musical realm unheard of. At times, her music was sad, insecure, and desperate; while at others—cocky. Money was my favorite ballad, up tempo with a Latin feel. Hoop incorporated a modern edge with old-school elements, like the sound of static frequency from old radios.
The message behind Money was strong and bold, focusing on the material world we allow to control us. Hoop uses a sarcastic wisdom that’s witty and straight to the point.
Enemy was a sweet, soft song that harked back to childhood lullabies. She took on a ghostly aura in her performance and the back of my neck started to prickle with goose bumps. The acoustic reverberating was fantasy-like, and I was mesmerized by the melodic tranquility, both inviting—and scary.
Listening to Jesca Hoop is a journey to the far off places within your mind. Her musical variety is enlivening, never clone-like, and never boring. If you think you’re sick of “the girl with the guitar” concerts, Jesca Hoop brings back the harmonious brilliance that recent artists seem to be lacking.